Golf club



Sept. 10, 1940. c. G. HORTON GOLF CLUB Filed Sept. a, 1938 7 7 m 8 4 b" a u 7 a Patented Sept. 10, 1940.

UNITED [STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to golf clubs broadly, and is particularly concerned with golf clubs of the combination type, or those wherein-provision is made for adjusting the angle of the club head with respect to the shaft in' order to cover a range of clubs with one club head and shaft.

Golf clubs embodying heads adjustable as to angularity to cover a range of irons'are known and have been used over a relatively long period of time. However, such clubs have been confined to the irons and did not include the woods in the range.

16 type in a wood club, it has been found exceedingly diirlcult to anchor the connecting member to the head in a manner such as to insure against displacement or looseness between the head and member.

Adjustable heads combined with adjustable -length shafts are also known, but such clubs" do not meet the demand for clubs covering the full range of both irons and woods. Thus, in the event it was desired to use a wood head or heads 26 in conjunction with an adjustable iron club, it

has heretofore been necessary to carry a separate club or clubs.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a golf club wherein a single shaft may be utilized for a complete range of irons and woods, the arrangement being such that the iron head may be quickly detached without the use of an extra tool or tools and substituted by a wood head, or vice versa, and the shaft quickly and easily adjusted as to length to accommodate the type of club head to be used.

Another object of the invention is to provide a golf club embodying a detachable and adjustable wood head wherein means are provided for anchoring a connecting member to the head in a manner such as to ensure against loosening of said member in said head.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable length shaft for a golf club so constructed as to render the adjustment quick and convenient, the shaft being positively held against looseness or play when in adjusted position.

5 The foregoing and other objects and advan tages of the invention will become apparent in view of the following description taken in conjunction of the drawing,-wherein:

Fig. 1- is a view in section and elevation of a 5 golf club constructed in accordance with the One reason for this is that in attempting to'embody an adjustable head of this features of the present invention, a wood head .being shown detachably applied to the shaft in this figure;

Fig. 1a is a view in elevation of the shaft of 1 with an iron head applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view in rear elevation of the wood head of Fig. 1, showing the lower portion of the shaft turned to a position whereby the head may be quickly detached from the shaft;

Fig. 3 is a top'plan view of the wood" head 10 detached;

Fig. 3a is a detail perspective view of a head connecting or adapter member;

Fig. 3b is a detail view of a lock member used in adjusting the angularity of the club head; 16

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a portion of the shaft of the clubs shown in Figs.

. 1 and 1a, particularly showing the means for adjusting the length of the shaft;

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially on the 20 line 55, Fig. 1; and,

Figs. 6 and 7 are vertical section views of club shafts illustrating modified constructions for adjusting the lengths thereof. 1

Referring to the drawing in detail, both the 2 iron and wood club heads are adjustable as to a'ngularity or pitch, the construction for-obtaining this adjustment being substantially similar to that disclosed in the patent to J. A. Novak etal., No. 1,697,988, dated January 8, 1929. The 30 club shaft is generally indicated at 5 and has secured on the lower end thereof a ferrule 6 in which is threaded a base or heel member generally indicated at 1 and provided with a threaded shank 1a having therein a longitudinal bore 35 lb, note particularly the detail view in Fig. 3b. The lower end of the member 1 is provided with an annular socket or recess 10 and a calibrated portion Id. A lock member 8 is provided and has a smooth shank portion or stem adapted to 40 slide in the bore 1b of the member 1. The lower end of the lock member carries a gear segment 8a adapted to mesh with the teeth of an adapter 9, the latter being best shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 3a. The heel member I is grooved, as at 1e, where it rides over the toothed portion of the adapter 9, the inner wall of the groove clearing the adapter when the heel member is turned to the position shown in Fig. 2.

Whenever it is desired to adjust the angularity of the head of the club, it is only necessary to hold the head-of the club upwardly so that-the lock member 8 will slide from locked position by gravity and then retract the heel member 1 from the ferrule 15 by unthreading the same from club head relatively to the shaft, preferably reversely to the direction of application of the club head to a ball, whereupon the gear segment 8a of the lock member 8 is permitted to slide by gravity free of the teeth of the adapter 9, permitting adjustment of the club head to the desired angle, the head then being tightened on the shaft, jamming the gear segmentBa into mesh with the teeth of the adapter 9.

The adapter 9 is provided with a pivoting boss 9a which engages in the socket 1c of the heel member I, there being a pivotal action provided between these members I and 9 at this point.

When the member 8 is permitted to slide by gravity clear of the teeth of the adapter 9, the

heel member 1 may be rotated to the point shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the club head may be easily detached from the lower end of the shaft.

The foregoing construction and operation is fully described in the patent to Novak et al.

above noted.

' A feature of the present invention resides in the construction of the adapter 9 and the method of anchoring the same in the club head whereby looseness and consequent displacement of the adapter in the club head is prevented. In carrying out this construction, a molded composition type of club head [0 is utilized and the adapter is formed with anchoring prongs 9b. In the example shown, each ofthe prongs is substantially U-shaped in contour, the legs of the U being joined to 'or formed integrally with the adapter and the trough of the U of each of the prongs being preferably inclined rearwardly as indicated at 90. In applying the adapter to a composition club head, the prongs may be imbedded in the molded mass while the latter is in plastic condition, the composition filling the space between each of the prongs 81), forming a positive lock between the adapter and preventing looseness even though a certain amount of relative expansion and contraction takes place between the parts. The rearwardly inclined portions are preferably positioned so that the longer leg of each U faces the striking face ll of the club head. Actual experience has conclusively demonstrated that an adapter of this type will remain in rigid connected relation to a composition club head throughout the life of the latter.

Obviously this method of attaching an adapter to a club head does not apply to the iron heads, the latter having the adapter formed integrally therewith, note Fig. 1a. However, in' both woods and irons, the heads may be quickly and easily detached without the use of tools.

In conjunction with the quickly removable and replaceable wood and iron club heads, the

shaft of the golf club isreadily adjustable as to length in accordance withthe type of club head to be used. For example, when a player finishes up with a putter on the green, he may remove the iron head and substitute the same by a wood the ferrule, which may be done by turning the A shaft-locking assembly is provided and includes a leaf spring l6 secured at one extremity to the portion ll of the shaft, preferably beneath the grip l5, and at its opposite extremity is provided with a locking stud or pin H adapted to have movement in a hole in the outer shaft section I4 and engage in any one of a plurality of holes l8 formed along one of the hex surfaces of the inner lower shaft section I3. Connected to the strip or spring l6, preferably in the region of the stud i1, is a manually operable actuator in the form of an eccentric ring is, preferably of elongated shape, which at its sides frictionally bears under tension against opposite sides of the section [4 of the shaft, note particularly Fig. 5.

Whenever it is desired to adjust the length of the shaft, it is only necessary to press on the por- 4 tion [9a. of the actuator l9, thereby releasing the stud I! from the holes I8 and advance or retract the said stud to the desired hole I 8 in the portion 13. The number of holes l8 correspond with the number of irons and woods covered by the range of angular adjustment of the iron head 20 and the wood head I0. Preferably, but not necessarilmthe spring [6 is arranged to normally urge the stud l1 to its inward or looking position, the actuator l9 being pressed by the thumb or finger of a player in order to release the stud IT.

This construction has a number of important advantages, among which may be mentioned the ease in which the shaft may be adjusted as to length, simplicity of construction and economy'in manufacture, the relatively light weight of the parts which does not interfere with the normal balance of the club.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate modified constructions for adjusting the length of the shaft. In Fig. 6 the inner octagonal or squared shaft section is indicated at 2| and the outer or upper octagonal shaped section at 22. The inner section is provided with an annular abutment shoulder 23 and the outer with a complemental abutment memher or shoulder 24, which when the shaft is adjusted to its full length position abuts the shoulder 23. To hold the shaft in its shortest adjusted position, or the iron position, (the position shown in Fig. 6), a spring catch 25 is anchored to a block 25a which in turn is fixed to the upper inner portion of the inner section 2!. On the upper end of the outershaft 22 is a head or tip member 26 which houses and shields the catch or lock 25. An abutment member 24a at the upper end of the section 22 limits the downward telescoping action of the sections 22 and 2|. When it is desired to lengthen the. club to the wood length, the catch or look 24 is depressed to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, whereupon the telescoped shaft lengths 2| and 22 may be extended with respect to one another until the shoulder 24 contacts or abuts the shoulder 23. The spring 25 exerts friction on the inner surface of the length 22 when the shaft is lengthened and assists in maintaining it in lengthened position. Obviously, the tendency is for the club to lengthen itself out due to centrifugal force, there being very little tendency for the club to shorten itself during play. In this type of shaft, only two positions are provided for, the iron length and the wood length. To shorten the shaft again to the iron length, it is only necessary to telescope the sections 22 and 23, the spring lock 25 engaging the inner portion of tip 26 and locking the shaft lengths in shortened position.

Fig. 7 illustrates a further modified shaft-'- lengthening adjustment. In this"instance, the

inner shaft section is indicated at 2'! and the outer section at 28, these sections preferably being octagonal and telescoping into one another as in the shaft sections heretofore described. An adjusting lever 29 is mounted interiorly of the inner shaft length 21 and is pivoted at an. intermediate point to a block 30. The lower end of the lever has fixed thereon a stud or pin 3| adapted to engage in any one of a plurality of adjusting holes similar to the holes l8 formed in the shaft of Fig. 1. A spring 32 normally urges the stud 3| into locked position, the said spring 32 being provided with a bearing roller 33 ensuring ease of operation and obviating wear on the inner surface of the shaft length 21. At its opposite end, the lever 29 has connected thereto a spring 34 which normally assists in urging the lever 29 into its locking position. Whenever it is desired to release the pin 3| to adjust the shaft as to length, it is only necessary to press inwardly on the tip portion 35 of the lever 29, whereupon the lever is rocked or depressed, releasing the pin 3 I, the latter thereafter automatically registeringv with any desired hole in accordance with the desired length of the;

shaft. A tip 36 houses the tip 35 of the lever 29 and also serves as an anchor for one end of the spring 34.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a golf club wherein the shaft is readily adjustable as to length in accordance with the type of iron used and wherein the "iron" and "wood heads are readily detachable for interchangeable use, the adapter 9 being firmly anchored in the head In thereby rendering the use of a wood" practicable and feasible in this t of golf club assembly.

It will be understood that certain limited changes in construction and design may be adopted within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a golf club, a shaft, a club head of molded material, means connecting the club head to the lower end of the shaft including a plate provided with spaced prongs connected at their inner ends and defining a closed substantially U-shaped member embedded in said head.

2'. In a golf club, a shaft, 2. club head formed of molded material, means furnishing a connection between the club head and shaft including an adapter plate having a plurality of spaced prongs projecting therefrom and embedded in said molded material, the ends of said prongs being cross-connected to provide a closed substantially U-shaped member or loop.

3. In a golf club having a shaft and a club head of molded plastic material, a heel member fixed to the lower end of said shaft, an adapter plate connected to said heel member and having a plurality of substantially U-shaped closed anchor loops projecting therefrom and ompletely of said head.

CLAIR G. HORTON. 

